Caisson for repairing vessels and submerged surfaces.



9379. Patented Dec; 3|, I901.

I]. MASON. I CAISSUN FUR REPAIRING VESSELS AND SUBMERGED SURFACES.

(Application filed Jan. 20, 1900,)

(No mndel.)

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UNllfFD STATES PATn'r Fries.

DAVID MASON, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAISSON Fen REPAIRING VESSELS AND SUBMERGED SURFACES.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 689,979, dated December 31, 1901. Application filed January 20, 1900. Serial No. 2,226. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, DAVID MAsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, borough of Manhattan, county and State of New York, have made a new and useful Invention in Means for Repairing Floating Vessels or Submerged Surfaces, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to devise means for affording access to thehull of a floating vessel or other submerged surface below the water-line and from the outside thereof in such manner as to permit of the examination thereof, the making of a perinanent repair thereto, or the cleaning, scraping, and painting or otherwise treating such surfaces at all times at points below the waterline and, in the case of vessels, withoutdocking them.

My invention will be fully understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating, partly in dotted lines and partly in full lines, the hull of a vessel with my invention applied thereto, the lower end of the apparatus being broken away for the purpose of showing the valve seated in the bottom thereof. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus, illustrating also means, in the nature of rubber or canvas coating, applied thereto for the purpose of making the structure absolutely water-tight. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper portion of the apparatus, the upper left-hand set of yielding arms attached to the inner edges of the structure being removed to more perfectlyshow the means of connecting them thereto, a dynamo-electric machine, storage battery, and circuit connections being illustrated in diagrammatic view.

My invention contemplates the construction of aflexible or vertebrated caisson of any desired length and made up or composed of separable sections adapted to be lowered over the side of a vessel and secured thereto in such manner that after it is in position the water therein may be pumped out, thus leaving exposed all that surface of the vessel within the caisson, which may be examined and cleaned, treated, and painted or repaired, as desired.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and first to Fig. 1, V represents a floating vessel with my novel flexible or vertebrated caisson secured thereto by ropes R R R R, the outer surface of said caisson being made up of a se ries of wooden blocks L L, joined together by bolts 1) b b, with steel sides P P for each of said sections, the bolts 12 b b constituting pivots about which the sides P P are adapted to rotate, and thus give to the structure the desired flexibility. I connect together in this manner any number of such sections, the arrangement being such as to enable me to make a flexible or vertebrated caisson of any desired length, and therefore adapted to the surface of the vessel to be examined or repaired.

To the inner surface of the sides P P are secured pairs of electromagnets M M, having pole-pieces P P P extending outward parallel with the sides P P to points closely approximating the edges thereof, the function of said magnets being to aid in securing the caisson to the side of the vessel when the latter is made of iron or any other magnetizable material. These clectromagnets are energized by a source of electricity, as a dynamoelectric machine DM, having its poles connected by conductors to to, running to the several magnets in multiple-arc relation, as shown.

SB represents a storage battery, the function of which is to maintain the current flowing through the electromagnets M M should the dynamo by any accident cease to operate.

To the inner ends of the sides P P are pivotally secured by lugs or ears Z l and bolts 1) p a series of short arms F F, having their under surface coated with yielding material, such as rubber, the function of these arms being to aid in holding the caisson securely against the surface of the vessel when the water therein is pumped out.

S S represent springs secured to the outer faces of the sides P P and adapted to bear one against each one of the arms F, so as to yieldingly hold them, when the caisson is in place, against the side of the vessel. (See Fig. 2.)

J J represent facings of soft rubber secured to the inner edges of the sides P P of each section of the caisson, (see Fig. 2,) the function of said rubber facings being to aid in making the structure water-tight when in use.

E E represent rings in the opposite sides of the top section, to which is secured two manipulating-ropes R R, similar manipulatingropes being secured to rings or ears at the bottom section, as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 1.

B represents a cross-brace adapted to be secured in abutting shoulders r 1' against the inner faces of the sides P P, there being one of these braces at the top of each section of the caisson, the abutting shoulders being so located that when the caisson is in place the cross-braces will not interfere with the workmen in painting or otherwise treating the surface inclosed.

15 represents a brace running at rightangles from the brace B, there being also one of said braces for each section of the caisson which rests at one end, as did the braces B in an abutting shoulder r. If preferred, the lower end of each brace B may rest directly upon the corresponding brace B, so as to leave absolutely free the surface of the vessel within the caisson. p

t represents a thin flexible coating of rubber or canvas which is secured to the outer surface of the entire caisson in any preferred manner, with its outer edges overlapping the outer ends of the arms F, the arrangement being such that when the water is withdrawn from the caisson said rubber or canvas coating will cling to the surface of the caisson, the outer faces of the arms, and the surface of the vessel and effectually prevent any leakage.

Referring to Fig. 1, V represents a springseated valve in the bottom of the lower section of the caisson, andC a rope or cord running throughout the length of the caisson to the deck of the vessel, its function being to admit water into the caisson when it is desired to move it.

The operation is as follows: The caisson is lowered into position through the agency of the ropes R R R R, which ropes are then drawn tight by winches or otherwise, so as to cause the arms F and the coating or covering 25 to assume the position shown in Fig. 2.

A pump is then applied and all of the water pumped out of the interior, the braces B and B being put into place above the water-level in the caisson as fast as the water is thus removed. Finally, when the water is all removed the cross-braces B and B are utilized as a ladder upon which the workmen descend and ascend. It will be understood that as the wateris pumped out of the caisson the pressure ofthe exterior water will cause the coating 15 to closely adhere to the outer surface thereof and firmly bear downward upon the arms F, and thus tend to hold the entire structure securely in position, so that waves or other exterior disturbances will not tend to harm or move it. After the surface has been examined and the necessary repairs effected the valve V is opened by pulling the rope O and the water allowed to enter into the interior of the caisson, when it may be moved to any desired part of the submerged surface and again used as before.

I do not limit myself to the especial details of construction herein shown and described, as I believe I am broadly entitled to claim a flexible or vertebrated caisson made up of separable sections and adapted to conform to the curvilinear shape of a vessel as it is drawn in position, and my claims are generic as to this feature. It is obvious that many of the features of my invention may be materially departed from and still come within the scope of my claims hereinafter made.

Having thus described myinvention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. Means for repairing or inspecting the sides and bottom of a floating vessel consisting of a flexible vertebrated water-tight caisson made up of separable sections, the outer surface of which consists of a series of blocks joined together by-bolts extending laterally through them, the lateral sides of the caisson being composed of overlapping steel plates secured by the same bolts which hold the separable sections together; in combination with means for causing said flexible caisson to ad here to the side or bottom of the vessel when properly located in position, substantially as described.

2. Means for repairing or inspecting the sides and bottom of a floating vessel, consisting of a flexible or vertebrated watertight caisson made up of separable sections secured together by pivot-bolts extending through the outer surface, and provided with means for lowering it into position at various points beneath the bottom of the vessel; in combination with additional means for causing it to adhere to the side or bottom of the vessel when properly located in position, substantially'as described. 7

3. Means for repairing or inspecting the sides and bottom of a floating vessel, consisting of a flexible or vertebrate (1 open sided water-tight caisson made up of separable sections secured together by pivot-bolts extending through the outer surface, and provided with means for causing it to adhere to the side or bottom of the vessel; in combination with yielding means at the edges of the caisson for efiecting a water-tight joint between it and the vessel, substantially as described. I

4:. Means for repairing or inspecting the sides and bottom of a floating vessel, consisting of a flexible or vertebrated open-sided water-tight caisson made up of separable sections secured together by pivot-bolts extending through the outer surface, and provided with electromagnetic means near its open side for causing it to adhere to the side or bottom of the vessel; in combination with yielding means on the edge of the caisson for effecting a water-tight joint between it and the vessel, substantially as described.

5. Means for repairing or inspecting the sides and bottom of a floating vessel, consisting of a flexible or vertebrated open-sided water-tight caisson made up of separable sections secured together by pivot-bolts extending through the outer surface, and provided with electromagnetic means near its open side for causing it to adhere to the side or bottom of the vessel; in. combination with yielding means on the edge of the caisson for effecting a water-tight joint between it and the vessel; together with circuit connections running to two independent sources of electrical energyon board of the vessel, substantially as described.

6. Means for repairing or inspecting the sides and bottom of a floating vessel or other curved submerged surface, consisting of a water-tight caisson made up of two or more separable flexible or vertebrated sections,consisting of an outer surface composed of a series of blocks pivotally secured together at their ends by bolts; in combination with a series of lateral or side plates secured to the former by the same bolts, substantially as described.

7. Means for repairing or inspecting the sides and bottom of a floating vessel or other curved submerged surface, consisting of a caisson made up of two or more separable flexible or vertebrated sections secured together by bolts extending through the outer faces and lateral sides of the structure; in combination with a water-tight coating of rubber or canvas adapted to cover the entire caisson, substantially as described.

8. Means for repairing or inspecting the sides and bottom of a floating vessel or other submerged surface, consisting of a flexible or vertebrated open-sided water-tight caisson made up of separable sections secured together by bolts extending through the outer surface and lateral or side faces of the structure, and provided with cross-braces B, B adapted to sustain the exterior pressure against the outer sides of the caisson, when in position, substantially as described.

9. Means for repairing or inspecting the sides and bottom of a floating vessel or other curved submerged surface, consisting of an open sided flexible or vertebrated caisson made up of separable sections secured together by bolts extending through the outer surface and lateral or side faces of the structure, and provided with cross-braces adapted to sustain the exterior pressure against the outer sides of the caisson, when in position, substantially as described.

10. Means for repairing or inspecting the sides and bottom of a floating vessel or other submerged surface, consisting of a flexible open-sided caisson having overlapping sides and laterally-extending arms pivoted near the inner edges of its sides and adapted to bear, when in position, against the submerged surface, substantially as described.

11. Means for repairing or inspecting the sides and bottom of a floating vessel or other curved submerged surface, consisting of an open-sided flexible caisson having overlapping sides P P and laterally-extending arms pivoted near the inner edges of its sides and adapted to bear, when in position, against the submerged surface; in combination with a flexible water-tight coating covering the entire structure, the arrangement being such that when the Water is pumped out of the caisson the entire structure is permanently held in position against collapse and movement by the pressure of the exterior water, substantially as described.

12. Means for repairing or inspecting the sides and bottom of a floating vessel or other curved submerged surface, consisting of an open-sided flexible caisson having laterallyextending arms pivoted near the inner edges of its sides and adapted to bear, when in position, against the submerged surface, said sides being pivoted to the outer face of the caisson and adapted to slide upon each other at their inner ends; in combination with a flexible water-tight coating covering the entire structure; together with cross braces within the structure for each section, the arrangement being such that when the water is pumped out of the caisson the entire structure is permanently held in position against collapse and movement by the pressure of the exterior water, substantially as described.

13. Means for repairing or inspecting the sides and bottom of a floating vessel or other curved submerged surface, consisting of an open-sided flexible caisson having overlapping sides and laterally-extending arms pivoted near the inner edges of its sides and adapted to bear, when in position, against the submerged surface; in combination with a flexible Water-tight coating covering the entire structure, together with cross-braces within the structure for each section, and yielding means, as rubber, between the inner edges of the sides and the under surface of the arms, the arrangement being such that when the water is pumped out of the caisson the entire structure is permanently held in position against collapse and movement by the pressure of the exterior water, and is wator-tight, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 19th day of January, 1900.

DAVID MASON.

Witnesses:

O. J. KINTNER, M. F. KEATING. 

